


Winter

by ArdentSingleton



Category: Gravity Falls, ParaNorman (2012)
Genre: Christmas, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-07 21:26:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8816764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArdentSingleton/pseuds/ArdentSingleton
Summary: Norman had never been a Christmas gift before. Not that he'd had much choice in the matter.





	1. Surprise

Norman didn’t think an hour had ever passed as slowly as the drive from the airport to Piedmont. Mabel hummed along to the radio and told him all about the plan to surprise Dipper. It made him nervous, if he were honest: he’d never been somebody’s Christmas present before. And arriving at the airport to a million texts asking where he was and why he hadn’t replied had done anything but ease his mind.

Would Dipper even be happy to see him? 

Their relationship (if that was even what it was) hadn’t exactly gotten off to a great start, if he were being honest. Dipper had been so caught up with college applications and interviews that he didn’t have as much free time as Norman would like, and any time he asked how the college stuff was going, Dipper would get all awkward and change the subject. He looked so stressed about it all that Norman was actually starting to reconsider whether he’d even apply at all. It just didn’t seem worth it.

“You alright there, Normy?”

Norman turned to face the girl beside him.

“Oh, yeah…sorry”

She laughed at him. But it wasn’t cruel: she wasn’t mocking him, she was genuinely happy to see him. After all these years, Norman still had to explain to himself when people actually liked him. A lifetime of people hating you will do that. It was a miracle he had any sanity left at all.

“Norman… you’re doing it again… _we’re here_.”

He looked out the car window. True enough, they’d stopped. And it was only now that it started to sink in that he was in California. He’d never been to California. It was less cold than Blithe was, which made sense really. He hadn’t been given enough time to think about it all, just shoved onto a plane and told "Merry Christmas”. Sisters were weird.

“So… are you coming?”

Norman nodded and opened the car door. Walked round, took his case from Mabel (who was still grinning at him), and stood staring at the house they were parked in front of. It wasn’t really what he’d pictured when he’d Skyped with Dipper. Why had they never shown each other their houses? Was that weird? They were friends (at least), they should be sharing that kind of stuff, right?

He suddenly noticed that Mabel had already reached the door, so he forced himself to suspend his amazement (temporarily) and follow her. She opened the door, and before she even entered the house she’d started yelling.

“I’m back Brobro! I got held up a bit, never got to the store after all!”

There was a groan and shuffling from upstairs somewhere, and as Mabel silently shushed Norman, a voice followed it, and footsteps got closer.

“Ugh, Mabel! The only thing I asked you to do was pick up my… Norman?!”

Norman looked up. A dorky brown haired boy in a lumpy Christmas jumper was staring straight at him from halfway down the stairs.

“I don’t remember you asking me that, Brobro. But I did it anyway,” she grinned, “didn’t want  _your_  Norman getting lost"

Dipper’s ears had gone red. He was still staring at Norman. Norman awkwardly shifted his gaze to look at the suitcase he was holding.

“I’ll leave you to it,” he heard Mabel say quietly in the distance as a pair of arms wrapped around him.


	2. A Visit from St Nicholas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gonna be honest, this chapter is sort of the whole reason this set of ficlets exists. The first two lines hit me, and the rest just had to happen. I hope you enjoy it, and happy holidays to you all.

'Twas the night before Christmas in Piedmont, CA  
Where an endless blue sky marked the cool winter's day  
As a spiky haired teen who was there for the week  
Was attempting to get, like the others, some sleep.

He stared at the ceiling and counted his breaths,  
And counted the heartbeats he felt in his chest,  
But just as it started to have some effect  
He heard a strange noise which he had to inspect. 

He crept down the stairs and he followed the sound,  
Into the living room and stopped when he found  
A man dressed in red with an eerie green glow:  
Nose like a cherry, face pale as snow.

"You're..." Norman started, then lowered his voice,  
"You're Santa Claus?" knowing of no other choice  
Though he had to make certain. The man nodded, "Yes,  
why most kids can't see me I think you can guess."

The medium smiled, as the glow was a clue  
One he'd seen many times and instantly knew.  
But just as he sat down to chat to the ghost  
They got interrupted by their tired teenage host. 

The half-awake teen, slipping in with a slouch,  
Grinned at his boyfriend and lay on the couch  
With his head on the lap of the one he held dear  
Until Norman muttered, "we're not alone here" 

Dipper sat up looking startled and moaned  
"Norman, with your gift we're never alone!  
I wish just one day I could see what you can..."  
Unseen, an eye twinkled upon the old man.

The next Norman knew, Dipper gripped his hand tight  
As the ghosts that were near somehow glowed twice as bright  
And the boy who had previously lain on his knee  
Was sitting wide-eyed, staring right at the tree. 

"You can see him?" Norm asked, as the line of Dip's vision  
Led right to Saint Nick with no slight indecision  
Or doubt. Yes, the previously ghost-blind young man  
Now saw. And he quietly whispered, "I can." 

The elderly ghost chortled deep and the sound  
Was like a deep bass pulsing straight through the ground  
He winked at the couple who sat there in awe  
And said "Well you did say you wished that you saw." 

“It won’t last for long but will give your young head  
The answers it seeks about Norm and the dead  
That he’s lived his whole life seeing. Now you’ll both know  
What that’s like, but I’m afraid I must dash. Ho ho ho!”

Saint Nick disappeared in the blink of an eye  
And Dipper soon noticed more ghosts passing by -  
Norman waved kindly, and Dipper waved too.  
They talked to them all and the hours soon flew. 

Light crept through the window, they noticed the clock  
And went back to bed (though poor Dip, still in shock,  
could not rid the thought of this night from his head).  
“How do you sleep after all that?” he said. 

Norm smiled at his boyfriend, then said as he sighed,  
"I think I'll sleep better now you're by my side,"  
He closed his eyes tightly, they cuddled in close:  
A parafanatic and a boy who sees ghosts.


End file.
